Absorbent bandage



United States Patent 6 ABSORBENT BANDAGE Duane H. Tollstrup, NorthHollywood, Calif.

No Drawing. Application September 27, 1954, Serial No. 458,660

4 Claims. (Cl. 128-490) This invention relates to a composition ofmatter and more particularly to an absorbent bandage having a highabsorbent quality with a minimum of bulk.

The principal object of this invention is to produce a sterilizedcomposition particularly useful as antiseptic surgical bandages,dressings, compresses and is especially useful as a catamenial device ofeither the external or insertion type.

It is a further object of this invention to produce a bandage of thetype described characterized by its simplicity, economy, efliciency andabsence of excessive bulk.

The invention is characterized by the use of swelling bentonite,otherwise known as montmorillonite.

Various clays having substantially the same physical and chemicalanalysis are known as bentonites having various abilities to absorbwater. When the term bentonite" is used herein, there is meant aswelling bentonite, and to obtain the advantages of the presentinvention in order to be characterized as a swelling bentonite, suchbentonite in its dry powdered form should be capable of absorbing atleast eight times its weight in water. The present invention utilizesthis absorbent quality of bentonite or montmorillonite by combining thesame with vegetable fibers, preferably cotton, to provide a bandagewhich can be sterilized and cut or shaped in any desired form.

A dry cubic inch or" swelling bentonite when subjected to water forms astable jell in which there is estimated to be more than 9 /2 billionindividual flakes having a com bined surface area of more than 1 acre inextent. Each tiny flake is avid for liquid and surrounds itself with asemi-rigid sheath or hull of liquid many times thicker than the particleitself. This invention utilizes this property in conjunction with thewell-known absorptive quali ties of vegetable fiber to provide anabsorbent bandage having increased absorptive advantages and decreasedbulk.

" ice It has been discovered that by combining small amounts ofhentonite with cotton or other fibrous material, a composition is formedwhich is 100% more absorptive than fibrous material used alone. It hasalso been proven that this composition will have the same absorptivequality with one-half the bulk of using fibrous material alone.

An optimum composition will consist of vegetable fibers and 35%bentonite. However, the invention is not limited to this ratio or evenapproximately this ratio as it has been shown that the vegetable fibermay vary from 50% to of the composition with the bentonite varying from5% to 50%.

Any desirable method of combining the bentonite with the fibrousmaterial may be used. One method found satisfactory is to shread thefibrous material and powder the bentouite dispersing each equally andevenly through the composition. Probably the most satisfactory andeasily constructed combination is ellected by alternating a layer offibrous material such as a thin layer of cotton with a layer of powderedbentonite and repeating this process until a bandage of the desiredthickness and absorptive quality has been attained. Such bandage maythen be sterilized and cut or rolled into any shape or size forconvenient use. Particularly a composition formed of such alternatelayers as above described may be cut or shaped to form a very efficientcatamenial device.

While there has been described what is at present considered preferredembodiments of the present invention, it will be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be madetherein without departing from the essence of the invention and it isintended to cover herein all such changes and modifications as comewithin the true spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An absorbent bandage comprising from 50% to 95% cotton fibers andfrom 5% to 50% bentonite.

2. An absorbent bandage comprising from 50% to 95% cotton fibers andfrom 5% to 50% montmoriilom'te.

3. A catarnenial device comprising a roll of alternate layers of cottonand dry powdered bentonite.

4. A catamenial bandage comprising from 50% to 95% cotton fibers andfrom 5% to 50% dry powdered bentonite.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS2,331,271 Gilchrist Oct. 5, i943

1. AN ABSORBENT BANDAGE COMPRISING FROM 50% TO 95% COTTON FIBERS ANDFROM 5% TO 50% BENTONITE.